Search results for " Immune system"
showing 10 items of 893 documents
RNA mediated toll-like receptor stimulation in health and disease
2012
Besides their well known functions in storage and translation of information nucleic acids have emerged as a target of pattern recognition receptors that drive activation of innate immunity. Due to the paucity of building block monomers used in nucleic acids, discrimination of host and microbial nucleic acids as a means of self/foreign discrimination is a complicated task. Pattern recognition receptors rely on discrimination by sequence, structural features and spatial compartmentalization to differentiate microbial derived nucleic acids from host ones. Microbial nucleic acid detection is important for the sensing of infectious danger and initiating an immune response to microbial attack. F…
Thromboinflammation and Vascular Dysfunction.
2018
Thromboinflammation and vascular dysfunction are inseparably combined with the innate and the adaptive immune response. While the role of this interplay has gained considerable attention in the arena of atherosclerosis/atherothrombosis and in deep vein thrombosis, its role in other forms of vascular disease and risk factors is currently emerging. In this brief review, we will focus on thromboinflammation with regard to cytokine signalling as well as on the novel role of a vascular coagulation-inflammatory circuit in arterial hypertension.Thrombo-Inflammation und vaskuläre Dysfunktion sind untrennbar mit dem angeborenen und dem erworbenen Immunsystem verbunden. Dieses Zusammenspiel wurde im …
Echinoderm Antimicrobial Peptides
2016
Abstract Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are widely expressed in organisms and have been linked to innate and acquired immunity in vertebrates. These compounds are constitutively expressed from different cellular types to interact directly with infectious agents and/or modulate immunoreactions. In invertebrates, including echinoderms, which lack a vertebrate-type adaptive immune system, AMPs represent the major humoral defense system against infection, showing a diverse spectrum of action mechanisms, most of them related to plasma membrane disturbance and lethal alteration of microbial integrity. Here, we summarize the knowledge of AMPs in echinoderms as Strongylocins identified in the sea ur…
Liver fibrosis: Common mechanisms and antifibrotic therapies
2015
Liver fibrosis and in particular cirrhosis have become major endpoints in clinical trials of patients with chronic liver diseases. Here, viral hepatitis, alcoholic and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis have become the major etiologies. We have made great progress in our understanding of the mechanisms and the cell biology of liver fibrosis and have already made the transition from preclinical testing of antifibrotic agents and strategies towards clinical translation. There continues to be an urgent need for specific antifibrotic therapies, despite the advent of highly potent antiviral agents that can even induce regression of advanced fibrosis. This review addresses central mechanisms and cells…
Internet Gaming Disorder profiles and their associations with social engagement behaviours.
2021
Abstract Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD), describes the abuse of Internet games with detrimental impact to the real-life social engagement of some gamers. Indeed, evidence suggests that gamers differ on the severity and way in which they express IGD symptoms, as well as their social engagement behaviours. The present study aimed to: a) profile gamers regarding their experience of IGD symptoms and; b) examine how different IGD profiles varied on social engagement behaviours. Methods: A sample consisting of 1032 gamers (18–72 years, Mage = 24) was assessed with the Internet Gaming Disorder Scale 9 Items Short Form (IGDS9-SF) and social engagement questions regarding their participation in empl…
Pharmacokinetics of oligodeoxynucleotides encapsulated in liposomes: effect of lipid composition and preparation method
2000
1. The effect of the method employed to prepare liposomes and their lipid composition were evaluated in terms of the encapsulation efficiency and pharmacokinetic features of two oligodeoxynucleotides of a 21 mer: the normal (N-Odn) and the phosphorothioate (S-Odn) oligodeoxynucleotide. 2. Liposomes were prepared by the classical method of multilamellar vesicles (MV) and by the dehydration-rehydration method (DR). Two lipid mixtures were used to prepare liposomes--the predominant lipid being phosphatidylcholine (PC) and sphingomyelin (SM) respectively. 3. The DR method for liposome preparation provided the highest encapsulation efficiency, regardless of liposome lipid composition and the typ…
Identifying SARS‐CoV‐2 ‘memory’ NK cells from COVID‐19 convalescent donors for adoptive cell therapy
2021
Abstract COVID‐19 disease is the manifestation of syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) infection, which is causing a worldwide pandemic. This disease can lead to multiple and different symptoms, being lymphopenia associated with severity one of the most persistent. Natural killer cells (NK cells) are part of the innate immune system, being fighting against virus‐infected cells one of their key roles. In this study, we determined the phenotype of NK cells after COVID‐19 and the main characteristic of SARS‐CoV‐2‐specific‐like NK population in the blood of convalescent donors. CD57+ NKG2C+ phenotype in SARS‐CoV‐2 convalescent donors indicates the presence of ‘memory’/activated NK cells as it ha…
Loss of histone macroH2A1 in hepatocellular carcinoma cells promotes paracrine-mediated chemoresistance and CD4+CD25+FoxP3+ regulatory T cells activa…
2020
Rationale: Loss of histone macroH2A1 induces appearance of cancer stem cells (CSCs)-like cells in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). How CSCs interact with the tumor microenvironment and the adaptive immune system is unclear. Methods: We screened aggressive human HCC for macroH2A1 and CD44 CSC marker expression. We also knocked down (KD) macroH2A1 in HCC cells, and performed integrated transcriptomic and secretomic analyses. Results: Human HCC showed low macroH2A1 and high CD44 expression compared to control tissues. MacroH2A1 KD CSC-like cells transferred paracrinally their chemoresistant properties to parental HCC cells. MacroH2A1 KD conditioned media transcriptionally reprogrammed parental …
IL-12 family members in experimental colitis
2008
Interleukin (IL)-12 p35/p40 is a heterodimeric cytokine that plays an important role in T helper (Th) cell polarization and Th1 T-cell differentiation. Recent findings have shown that both p35 and p40 can form other cytokines with different proteins (IL-23: p19/p40; IL-35: p35/EBI3). Furthermore, the cytokine IL-27 (EBI3/p28) has been identified as a member of the IL-12 family. Here, we discuss the recent findings on the role of IL-12 family members in experimental colitis. In particular, the role of IL-23 as a master regulator of effector T-cell activation is highlighted. These findings have important implications for the design of new therapeutic approaches in chronic intestinal inflammat…
Impact of Perceived Stress and Immune Status on Decision-Making Abilities during COVID-19 Pandemic Lockdown.
2021
The ability to make risky decisions in stressful contexts has been largely investigated in experimental settings. We examined this ability during the first months of COVID-19 pandemic, when in Italy people were exposed to a prolonged stress condition, mainly caused by a rigid lockdown. Participants among the general population completed two cognitive tasks, an Iowa Gambling Task (IGT), which measures individual risk/reward decision-making tendencies, and a Go/No-Go task (GNG), to test impulsivity, together with two questionnaires, the Perceived Stress Scale and the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scales. The Immune Status Questionnaire was additionally administered to explore the impact of t…